Trying to find a buddha or enlightenment is like trying to grab space.
The essence of the Way is detachment.
Regardless of what we do, our karma has no hold on us.
When mortals are alive, they worry about death. When they're full, they worry about hunger. Theirs is the Great Uncertainty. But sages don't consider the past. And they don't worry about the future. Nor do they cling to the present. And from moment to moment they follow the Way.
But while success and failure depend on conditions, the mind neither waxes nor wanes.
If we should be blessed by some great reward, such as fame or fortune, it's the fruit of a seed planted by us in the past.